Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-22

south sspect and reslly-good cellar
and do he most particular and careful
in Examining Yourself, darling, rs TO
whether there is any damp IN the
walls. -, ILL, A.
"John Westbrookl u CALCULATED Mr..
Puddicombe, suddenly becoming very
purple in the face and bringing down
bis hand ON the arm of the chair With
an emphatic thump. " You have
drawn a treasure, sir-drawn q trea-
snre That woman is one IN q thou
sand |"
"She is indeed" said the lover, but
with a slightly stupefed air. If you
only knew her, knew how sweet aud
lovable she is"
81 don't want to know her, SIR L
moan. that ] admire her sufficiently al
ready. and consider that she Is one
in thousand. One in thousand?
One in ten thousand Upon my word,
if | had met such sensible girl when
| was young-one who could find time,
an one her pets and poppeting, 10
zee that the house had a southern
aspect, and TO examine, herself
to sec that there was no damp IN
the walls-by George, sir, ] might not
be at the mercy of landladies at TINS
moment-I might not be sending Tor
vou for rheumatism--I might have
been the father of family. You ask
me what | think of your letter, and l
GOV you haze drawn a prize. and the
sooner she comes out to you the sooner
YOU marry her out of hand in case any
one else wants her, the sooner you VIII
be the most fortunate man IN New
York. sir-the most fortunate man L
know =.
"How well you seem to know her !
/ shall be the happiest man in the
world. She's the sweetest, dearest,
lovelicst girl that ever breathed, said
the delighted lover.
"And most sensible. Don't forget
to add that. A south aspect and really
good cellar = John Westbrook, luck's
your way. / don't know that | ever
heartily congratulated any one before
on becoming tied up for life. but do
it now" said Mr. Puddicombe, with a
thump on the armchair. I" warn you,
sir | shall he m admirer of Mrs. West
brooks. The most sensible woman |
ever heard Of :"
".
THE ARRIVAL.
The day and the hour had come ; the
ardently expected, the longingly
looked-for. The vessel was in the har-
Dor, the "Nova Scotia y; the vessel
happy vessel that numbered "Miss
Morton in the list of its passengers.
And John Westbrook. with eager eyes
that as yet had failed to catch any
glimpse of his Lucy, and with heart
throbbing with such delight as comes
rarely in a lifetime, was waiting his
opportunity to 60 on board.
it came at last At last he stepped
upon the deck-the deck Lucy's little
feet must have trodden SO often-and
eagerly looked round him, scanning
face after face, hoping in another mo-
ment to meet the sweet brown eyes
and confding glance of the little sweet
heart who had bravely crossed the sea
TO come to him. The moments passed
by. one after another. What could
have become of Lucy? Good heavens,
if anything should have happened to
her-if she should be i'll !
A cold chill burst ont on his fore
head. Why had it never occurred 10
him before? Why had he so ca
gerIy expected all would be well I?
How many had drawn near hap
pincss only to have it struck from
their grasp? He looked round
again. full Of the terrified imaginings
of lover and at that moment be-
came suddenly conscious of seeing a
face he knew-but it was not Lucy's
face. As suddenly, to his amazement
and horror, a shrill female voice Shrek
ed John and Miss Morton was
in his arms.
Ii was Miss Morton-Miss Lucilla
Morton: but it was the aunt and not
the niece. Miss Morton herself, look
ing nearer fifty-two than she had ever
done before in his recollection, an ex-
traordinsry biliousness of hue about
The complexion she had so prided her
self on, and a general limpness about
the straw colored ringlets. But the
most extraordinary part OF it to John
Westbrook was that she should have
thrown herself into his arms in man
ner. to say the least of it, too public
people were tittering-and that at that
moment two mittened hands should be
locked together tightly at the back of
his peck-and Miss LucillA was no light
weight-and she had just burst into
teHTs.
"My dearest John Haven't been
brave to come out to yOu? And If
YOU knew what l have suffered " she
easped pathetically between her sobs.
"You begged me not to keep you
waiting, and that was why | sent you
word / was coming so soon on the
Nova Scotia. And You will make
amends to me for all | have gone
through with sea-sickness. You see
how | have trusted youl"
4 horrible conjecture had suddenly
flashed across John WestbrOok's brain.
He gazed at Miss Lucilla in blank,
speechless horror. "Where is Lucy "
he managed TO articulate at last, with
dry lips.
"Where is Lucy ?" repeated Miss
Morton, bursting into tears afresh
her nerves had certainly been tried,
and this was not the reception she had
expected. "Oh, John, dear, to think
I should have bravcd tie ocean in or
der to m-m-msITy you, and this Is all
you have to say to me when we meet
trivial questions about Lucy. You
might trust me, that | shculdhaye seen
to everything and 20 | have" said
Miss Lucilla, sobbing. Put Lucy
in comfortable home, sold my
house, and given up all my in
vestuents, and turned everything into
ready money. And I've brought every
thing to you, John-I always said i
would trust my husband in everything
and oh, have you deceased to love
me 2" Miss Morton had become In
articulate, and was apparently about to
collapse, with a remarkable rigidity OF
limb, somewhat in the manner cOnsid-
cred peculiar to dolls OF the rag species
but a desperate calmness had with
John Westbrook taken the place OF